If the dimensions of the canvas do not exceed that of the frame, strain it and nail it on with 1 1/2 or 2-inch clout nails, about four inches apart from each other, taking care that the threads of the canvas have perpendicular and horizontal directions. The nails should only be driven home about halfway, as, when the painting is finished, they will all have to be taken out again in order to remove the canvas from the frame. Having thus strained and fastened the canvas so as to get it to lie tolerably smooth on the frame, apply the size to it as afterwards directed and the whole will be stretched as tight as a drum-head.

But suppose the canvas is too large to allow the frame to take in the whole height of the scene, which frequently happens even in regular painting rooms, resort must be had to what is called a bight in the canvas and proceed thus: Nail the top of the canvas along a straight line drawn on the top of the frame, and let the remainder lie evenly down the front, dropping the portion of the canvas that extends beyond the bottom of the frame through the cut, if there be one, or gathering it up carefully below. Now drive a nail through the end of a seam that is about halfway between the top and bottom of the frame, after having pulled it slightly downwards, keeping the side edge of the canvas even with the side of the frame. Then measure how far the nail last drove in is from the top or bottom of the frame, and nail the other end of the seam to the other side of the frame at the same relative distance. Next stretch a chalk line from one nail to the other and make it fast. This will furnish a horizontal line, parallel, of course, to the top and bottom of the frame. Now give a downward pull to the middle part of the canvas at the bottom of the frame till the seam before spoken of is level with the chalk line at the center and fasten it to the frame with a clout nail.

In the same way pull and fasten the canvas at each side of the above point, at intervals of four inches, till the cornel's are reached, when the line in which the seam is ought to coincide with that shown by the chalk line. In doing this be careful not to pull the canvas sideways, but quite perpendicularly and so that no wrinkles should form. Strain out and nail down the sides, pulling them in a horizontal direction and not harder than is necessary to make the canvas lie tolerably flat. The work being thus far satisfactorily accomplished, remove the chalk line and commence sizing as follows: Heat some of the strong size before described, and with a two-knot brush apply it to the canvas, commencing at the top of the frame and working crosswise from one side to the other to the depth of about two feet. Keep the canvas tolerably well soaked with the size, and let no part remain uncovered, except about six inches above where the bottom row of nails are driven, so that the marks caused by the latter may be afterwards got rid of. Continue thus till the whole surface of the canvas is covered up to about six inches from the bottom nails. When all the size that has been applied to the canvas is perfectly dry, proceed with the priming.

The priming is made in the following manner: Take as much of the whiting that has been soaked in water as will suffice to cover the whole surface of the canvas, taking care that it is thoroughly dissolved and free from lumps. Drain the water well from it and mix it with strong size only. The priming should now be of such a consistency that when a brush full of it is drawn against the side of the pot or pail which contains it, it will run down and as much remain on the side as will leave no part uncovered. The priming should also flow freely from the brush, but yet have enough body in it to impart, when dry, a nice even white surface to the canvas.

In laying in the priming, the flat of the brush, not the edge, should first be moved up and down the canvas with as long a stretch as possible, then horizontally, and afterwards perpendicularly again. Repeat these actions till the canvas is well covered, finishing off horizontally. Begin at the top, and the splashes will become smoothened as you proceed downwards with the priming. Be very careful to well cover the canvas, for it is most vexatious to have to touch up those places that have been left bare or not sufficiently covered, and the surface never looks so clear, or is so fit to work on as when all the priming is done whilst wet. The same precaution, also, must be taken in the priming as in the sizing, namely, not to prime nearer than six inches from the bottom row of nails.

As soon as the priming is quite dry, proceed to take in the bight before spoken of which is done in the following manner: Suppose, for example, that the canvas is eight feet deeper than the frame. At the distance of three inches from the top, which must be allowed for the row of nails, measure eight feet downwards on each side of the frame, and there strike a line across with charcoal. Then, with a pair of carpenter's pincers, draw out all the nails except those in the top row. Now let an assistant take hold of the canvas at one end of line just struck, and one or two other assistants, according to the width of the canvas, are holding the parts that are between. Let all then pinch the canvas along the struck line into a straight fold, and afterwards lift that part simultaneously till it is just under the top row of nails, being careful that the canvas which is folding itself at the back is made to lie evenly, and with as few creases as possible. If the lifting has been properly performed, the canvas will not have shifted, either to the right or to the left, and will hang tolerably even.

Next drive a clout nail a little below and in the middle of the fold, and then other ones on each side, at intervals of four inches, as before, some one else helping you to keep the fold even and parallel to the top line of clouts while the tacking is being carried on. All that remains to be done is to tack down the two sides, straining out from the center towards each side. If there be a seam in the part of the canvas just lifted up, get it horizontal by means of the chalk line and nails, as before explained, which would also serve to regulate the tacking at the bottom. Now size and prime the new surface in the same manner as before, using the size and priming hot, and the whole of the canvas will present a uniform appearance.